I like the direction you are headed with Biochem, but until there is a reason to take another profession, nobody will bother dropping Biochem and so those sellable stims and medpacks still won't be selling for the time being.

I wanted to drop some notes on the changes made to the BioChem profession in the patch (1.1.2) that just went onto the Public Test Server, how they fit in the big picture and how we are proceeding forward with crafting professions in endgame in general.

First off, we removed the requirement to have the BioChem profession to use Energized and Exotech stims and adrenals. This was done to (a) remove pressure of players to pick up BioChem for optimal combat performance and (b) to open up the sale of BioChem products to a larger audience on the Galactic Trade Network.

Additionally, we've reduced the effectiveness of the BioChem exclusive Rakata Stimpacks to be equal to Energized stimpacks. Their intended benefit is the cost savings they provide over time, not an increase in power. We are also in progress of reviewing the creation costs of many consumables in the game against the economic realities (acquisition cost of purple mission materials on our live servers) and will likely make adjustments to these in the future.

It is our intention to gradually, over multiple patches, reduce the impact of situational consumables on endgame combat resolution and shift the factors which determine the outcome of combat more towards personal skill. As part of this effort, specifically for PvP, we are also working on changes that will reduce the gear related power difference between new characters at level 50 and players in full PvP gear. We feel that at the current time, this difference is too high.

On a more general note about crafting, our changes to make BioChem consumables freely tradeable are just a small first step as part of a larger scale effort to extend our crafting gameplay, for all professions, into the endgame.

Major changes are currently on schedule for the next major content patch, such as extractable basemods (armoring, barrel, etc.) from purple items, critical crafting successes on orange outfits, more bind-on-equip schematic drops for artifice and other professions, increased relevance of augments, better reverse engineering chance, and other improvements. We want to create significant incentive for players to engage in the crafting economy – as provider of goods or supplier - without requiring players to take up a specific profession as a ticket into endgame.

Long term, our plan is to evolve Star Wars: The Old Republic’s game economy to a more player driven model, strengthen and improve the GTN and embrace the game’s extensive appearance customization throughout the game. We have a long list of improvements planned for that but we’re also anxious to hear from you. Feel free to use this thread to give us your feedback on the topic!

Regards
Georg

Heya Georg,

Do me a favor and give your PvP team one single kiss on the right cheek, then 2 slaps on their left one.

The Good:

Yes, make it so the gear difference for new 50s isn't so brutal to overcome. I can always tell when I'm slaughtering a newbie - their lifebar doesn't so much drop as disappear. Just don't be nerfing my gear or some stupidity. Buff theirs if need be, or - better yet - give them a blue crafted PvP set they can buy/make.

The Bad:

For the love of all that's HOLY, give Gabe A. a dopeslap upside the head, or whoever the hell is the "mastermind" behind this absolutely horrible bag system. And, what's your next patch say: "We're going to buff the rate you gain crappy items, but make it even HARDER/MORE RNGed BASED to get the good ones? Are you ... UUGGGH... what the hell is the matter with you? How can you be so...

UGGH...

JUST... DOPESLAP GABE or WHOEVER the HELL is driving this one. It's beyond stupidity. It's... It's. Hell, you might as well just advertise for Guild Wars 2 with that change! Maybe Arenanet will pay you for it!

i earned rank 60 through warzones thanks. And the gap is not wide. I know what expertise is. The gear gap is still smaller than most mmo pvp gear sets. If pvp gear is nerfed even slightly rakata gear will be better forcing people to raid for pvp gear.

Please tell me why biochem is the only profession you guys are looking into. Seriously, every other profession is so godawful you would be a completely numbskull to choose it over biochem, yet you guys keep tweaking only biochem.

Armormech, synthweaving, armstech are a complete waste of time due to the fact that nothing you get is unique, every recipe you get can get gained as a full drop by doing hard modes or raids, you guys have put little to know effort into the crafting system. This change to remove the armoring from epics AFFECTS CRAFTING IN NO WAY!

Seriously, how is that even put into the profession changes. There are so many problems with crafting. You guys need to dig deeper and try harder.

try reading last paragraph allowing us to remove mods from epic gear, addtionally we can now CRIT on modable crafted items! that means we get an augment slot on crafted items, in addition to being able to slot it with pvp items! now if only were some nice looking crafted sets i might be excited =P

" Destiny is like a river...washes us along its ever winding path, the jedi follow its path drawn along it like lambs to the slaughter... but We Sith fight the flow of destiny, turn its course to our whim! Through this will we be the true victors of this war!" -Lokai-

I'm a little worried that this is going to make me PvE for Rakata gear/crafting materials to do well in PvP. Oh well. On the whole, though, it's good to see the possible changes to crafting. I was one of those who was about to drop my crafting skill for Biochem.

The statements and opinions expressed on these websites are solely those of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, nor are they endorsed by Bioware, LucasArts, and its licensors do not guarantee the accuracy of, and are in no way responsible for any content on these websites.

The statements and opinions expressed on these websites are solely those of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, nor are they endorsed by Bioware, LucasArts, and its licensors do not guarantee the accuracy of, and are in no way responsible for any content on these websites.